Hand level



J. H. CARMEAN.

HAND LEVEL. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1920.

. Patented May 30, 1922.

amoewbo'c Jamesfitarmean.

"UNETE HAND LEVEL.

of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Hand Levels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to levels and par- 'ticularly to a hand level especially adapted for use by surveyors and the like.

The primary object is to provide a hand level in which two spaced columns of liquid are utilized to locate a point above the ground on a distant object. The application of the two liquid columns to a device of this class is effective in insuring an accurate level at a minimum cost, it being only necessary to raise or lower. the level until. the levels of the two columns are in the horizontal plane with the eye to determine the fixed point on the distant object.

The actual construction of the deviceis capable of various modifications but I have shown one preferred. form in the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a level constructed in accordance with my invention.

F ig. 2 is a perspective view looking from the opposite side to .thatshown inFig. l. i Fig. 3 is an end View of the level, and Fig. 4c is a vertical. sectional view through the same taken on the line 44, Fig. 2.

The level is shown as comprising a tubular member having a side 1, preferably semi-elliptical in cross section, and a flat side 4 connecting the ends 2 and 3 of the side 1, to form a housing open at its respective ends and adapted to receive a liquid container in tubular form which contains the liquid serving as the indicating medium forthe device. The plates 1 and l are provided at their respective ends with aligning openings 5, 6, 7,

and 8 which constitute windows or light openings toilluminatethe vertical tubes 9 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 30,

Application filed October 29; 1920. Serial No. 120,4133.

and 10 which contain the liquid. The lower 1 ends of the tubes '9 and 10 are connected by a conduit 11, so that'the liquid may freely flow from. one tube to the other, there being 5 hollow connector"12-for joining the two upper ends of the tubes 9 and lOsoas to maintain equal pressure upon the respective liquid columns at all times. 'The vertical tubes 9 and lO oppositethe light opening, the conduit 11, and the tube connector 12 constitute a substantially rectangular structure, and. in actual practice the conduit 11 may be fastened to the bottom*ofjthe casing formed 'by the plates 1 and 4- by suitable} fastening devices indicated at 13 and 14, the tube connector being fastened by a fastening device 15, Fig. 2. The rectangular structure formed by the members, 910, 11, i

and 12 is preferably arranged withinthe casing diagonally, so that the" tube 10 will;

be offset with respect to the tube 9 as best seen in Fig. 3. This is important, because in using the device it is desirable that one tube be not obscured by; the other.

The operator may grasp the casing in the right hand. with the flat. side against the JAMES H. CARMEAN, or irilivsns CITY, iiussonn'r.

palm, preferably holding the level substantielly at rms length. .The level is then raised until the top of the liquid in tube'9 isin line with the top of the liquid of they tube 10 or'vice versa, and until a'straight line appears across both columns in line with the axis of the eye, the two columns s5 being substantially as shown in Fig. 3. When this occurs the object observed shown in linewith the top of the said liquid columns will be the mark which the operator U is trying to find, and it will be immaterial whether or not the frame is held in a hori zontal plane because the-liquid will seekFitsown level, irrespective of the tilting of the frame, Thereforaif the two liquid levels are in line with the eye of the operator and 1 the operator knows the distance from'th ground to the level of his eye, the measurement of the mark on the-distant object can a,

be easily determined after the manner of theordinary hand levels used by surveyors. I a

. What I claim and desire to secure by Let- 10 ters-Patent isz i J 1. A hand level comprising an elongated casing open at its ends, a pair of vertical liquid containing conduits off-set with one another by respect to their mounting in the casing to permit comparison of the liquid 5 levels in the conduits, and connecting conduits for the vertical conduits.

2. A hand level comprising a casing; and

a closed rectangular liquid containing eonduit, diagonally mounted in the casing to permit the comparison of the liquid levels in the vertical ducts of the rectangular con- 

